Locating tracking device by user-guided trilateration

ABSTRACT

A tracking device uses user-guided trilateration to determine a current location of the tracking device. The tracking device receives a request to locate the tracking device from a user of a mobile device communicatively connected to the tracking device. The tracking device receives a series of locations of the mobile device and corresponding distances between the mobile device and the tracking device at each of the locations. The tracking device provides instructions to the user of the mobile device to move to each of the series of locations to collect location and distance data. The tracking devices performs a trilateration operation on the series of locations and corresponding distances to determine a location of the tracking device and provides the determined location to the mobile device for display.

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is a continuation of U.S. application Ser. No.16/543,592, filed Aug. 18, 2019, now U.S. Pat. No. 10,506,386, which isincorporated by reference in its entirety.

BACKGROUND

This disclosure relates generally to tracking devices, and morespecifically, to locating tracking devices using trilateration.

Electronic tracking devices have created numerous ways for people totrack the locations of people and/or objects. However, misplaced or losttracking devices may be difficult to locate for a number of reasons. Forexample, the size and obviousness of the tracking device or objectsassociated with the tracking device, environmental factors such asclutter, ambient noise, and the like may interfere with locatingmisplaced tracking devices. In cases where a tracking device does nothave precise location data, it is valuable to enable users to remotelylocate the tracking device via a mobile device.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 illustrates an example tracking system environment in which atracking device can operate, according to one embodiment.

FIG. 2 illustrates an example tracking system for use in a trackingsystem environment, according to one embodiment.

FIG. 3 illustrates an example user mobile device for use in a trackingsystem environment, according to one embodiment.

FIG. 4 illustrates an example community mobile device for use in atracking system environment, according to one embodiment.

FIG. 5 illustrates an example tracking device for use in a trackingsystem environment, according to one embodiment.

FIGS. 6A-6D illustrate an example for locating a tracking device usinguser-guided trilateration, according to one embodiment.

FIG. 7 illustrates an example interface for locating a tracking deviceusing user-guided trilateration, according to one embodiment.

FIG. 8 is a flow diagram illustrating a process for locating a trackingdevice using user-guided trilateration, according to one embodiment.

The figures depict various embodiments of the present invention forpurposes of illustration only. One skilled in the art will readilyrecognize from the following discussion that alternative embodiments ofthe structures and methods illustrated herein may be employed withoutdeparting from the principles of the invention described herein.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Environment Overview

Embodiments described herein detail functionality associated with atracking device. A user can attach a tracking device to or enclose thetracking device within an object, such as a wallet, keys, a car, a bike,a pet, or any other object that the user wants to track. Or, a trackingdevice can be a device with a primary purpose unrelated to trackingfunctionality (e.g., a set of headphones, an electronic key, a wirelessspeaker, a fitness tracker, a camera) that has an integrated trackingcomponent that allows the device to be tracked. The user can then use amobile device (e.g., by way of a software application installed on themobile device) or other device or service to track the tracking device.For example, the mobile device can perform a local search for a trackingdevice. However, in situations where the user is unable to locate thetracking device using their own mobile device (e.g., if the trackingdevice is beyond a distance within which the mobile device and thetracking device can communicate), the user can leverage the capabilitiesof a community of users of a tracking device system as described below.

A tracking system (also referred to herein as a “cloud server,”“tracking server,” or simply “server”) can maintain user profilesassociated with a plurality of users of the tracking system. Thetracking system can associate each user within the system with one ormore tracking devices associated the user (e.g., tracking devices thatthe user has purchased and is using to track objects owned by the user,or devices that include a tracking component and have additionalnon-tracking features). If the user's tracking device, or the object towhich the tracking device is attached, becomes lost or stolen, the usercan send an indication that the tracking device is lost to the trackingsystem, which is in communication with one or more mobile devicesassociated with the community of users in communication with the system.The tracking system can set a flag indicating the tracking device islost. When one of a community of mobile devices that are scanning fornearby tracking devices and providing updated locations to the trackingsystem identifies a flagged tracking device, the tracking system canassociate the received location with the flagged tracking device, andrelay the location to a user of the tracking device, thereby enablingthe user to locate the lost tracking device. As used herein, “mobiledevice” can refer to a phone, tablet computer, or other connecteddevice, and can also refer to systems typically not consider mobile,such as servers, routers, gateways, access points, and specializedsystems configured to couple to tracking devices and report a locationof the tracking devices.

As used herein, “tracking device” can refer to any device configured tocommunicate with another device for the purpose of locating the trackingdevice. Tracking devices can be specialized or single-purpose devices(e.g., self-contained devices that include circuitry or components tocommunicate with another device). However, “tracking device” as usedherein can also refer to device or object with a different primaryfunction but with secondary tracking device functionality. For example,a wireless speaker can include tracking device components that allow auser to track and/or locate the wireless speaker. In some embodiments, atracking device platform can be established such that devices andobjects that satisfy one or more criteria can act as tracking deviceswithin a tracking device ecosystem. For instance, a tracking deviceprovider can provide an SDK or custom chipset that, when incorporatedinto an object or device, enable the object or device to function astracking devices, to communicate with other devices within the trackingdevice ecosystem, and to implement the functionalities described herein.

FIG. 1 illustrates an example tracking system environment in which atracking device can operate, according to one embodiment. Theenvironment of FIG. 1 includes a tracking system 100 communicativelycoupled to a mobile device 102 associated with the user 103 via a firstnetwork 108. The tracking system 100 is also communicatively coupled toa plurality of community mobile devices 104 a through 104 n(collectively referred to herein as “community mobile devices 104”)associated with a plurality of users 105 a through 105 n of the trackingsystem 100 (collectively referred to herein as “community users 105”)via the first network 108. As will be explained in more detail below,the tracking system 100 can allow the user 103 to manage and/or locate atracking device 106 associated with the user 103. In some embodiments,the tracking system 100 leverages the capabilities of community mobiledevices 104 to locate the tracking device 106 if the location of thetracking device is unknown to the user 103 and beyond the capabilitiesof mobile device 102 to track. In some configurations, the user 103 mayown and register multiple tracking devices 106. Although FIG. 1illustrates a particular arrangement of the tracking system 100, mobiledevice 102, community mobile devices 104, and tracking device 106,various additional arrangements are possible.

In some configurations, the user 103 may be part of the community ofusers 105. Further, one or more users 105 may own and register one ormore tracking devices 106. Thus, any one of the users within thecommunity of users 105 can communicate with tracking system 100 andleverage the capabilities of the community of users 105 in addition tothe user 103 to locate a tracking device 106 that has been lost.

The tracking system 100, mobile device 102, and plurality of communitymobile devices 104 may communicate using any communication platforms andtechnologies suitable for transporting data and/or communicationsignals, including known communication technologies, devices, media, andprotocols supportive of remote data communications.

In certain embodiments, the tracking system 100, mobile device 102, andcommunity mobile devices 104 may communicate via a first network 108,which may include one or more networks, including, but not limited to,wireless networks (e.g., wireless communication networks), mobiletelephone networks (e.g., cellular telephone networks), closedcommunication networks, open communication networks, satellite networks,navigation networks, broadband networks, narrowband networks, theInternet, local area networks, and any other networks capable ofcarrying data and/or communications signals between the tracking system100, mobile device 102, and community mobile devices 104. The mobiledevice 102 and community of mobile devices 104 may also be incommunication with a tracking device 106 via a second network 110. Thesecond network 110 may be a similar or different type of network as thefirst network 108. In some embodiments, the second network 110 comprisesa wireless network with a limited communication range, such as aBluetooth or Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) wireless network. In someconfigurations, the second network 110 is a point-to-point networkincluding the tracking device 106 and one or more mobile devices thatfall within a proximity of the tracking device 106. In such embodiments,the mobile device 102 and community mobile devices 104 may only be ableto communicate with the tracking device 106 if they are within a closeproximity to the tracking device, though in other embodiments, thetracking device can use long-distance communication functionality (forinstance, a GSM transceiver) to communicate with either a mobile device102/104 or the tracking system 100 at any distance. In someconfigurations, the mobile device 102 and one or more community mobiledevices 104 may each be associated with multiple tracking devicesassociated with various users.

As mentioned above, FIG. 1 illustrates the mobile device 102 associatedwith the user 103. The mobile device 102 can be configured to performone or more functions described herein with respect to locating trackingdevices (e.g., tracking device 106). For example, the mobile device 102can receive input from the user 103 representative of information aboutthe user 103 and information about a tracking device 106. The mobiledevice 102 may then provide the received user information, trackingdevice information, and/or information about the mobile device 102 tothe tracking system 100. Accordingly, the tracking system 100 is able toassociate the mobile device 102, the user 103, and/or the trackingdevice 106 with one another. In some embodiments, the mobile device 102can communicate with the tracking device 106 and provide informationregarding the location of the tracking device to the user 103. Forexample, the mobile device 102 can detect a communication signal fromthe tracking device 106 (e.g., by way of second network 110) as well asa strength of the communication signal or other measure of proximity todetermine an approximate distance between the mobile device 102 and thetracking device 106. The mobile device 102 can then provide thisinformation to the user 103 (e.g., by way of one or more graphical userinterfaces) to assist the user 103 to locate the tracking device 106.Accordingly, the user 103 can use the mobile device 102 to track andlocate the tracking device 106 and a corresponding object associatedwith the tracking device 106. If the mobile device 102 is located beyondthe immediate range of communication with the tracking device 106 (e.g.,beyond the second network 110), the mobile device 102 can be configuredto send an indication that a tracking device 106 is lost to the trackingsystem 100, requesting assistance in finding the tracking device. Themobile device 102 can send an indication of a lost device in response toa command from the user 103. For example, once the user 103 hasdetermined that the tracking device 106 is lost, the user can provideuser input to the mobile device 102 (e.g., by way of a graphical userinterface), requesting that the mobile device 102 send an indicationthat the tracking device 106 is lost to the tracking system 100. In someexamples, the lost indication can include information identifying theuser 103 (e.g., name, username, authentication information), informationassociated with the mobile device 102 (e.g., a mobile phone number),information associated with the tracking device (e.g., a unique trackingdevice identifier), or a location of the user (e.g., a GPS location ofthe mobile device 102 at the time the request is sent).

The tracking system 100 can be configured to provide a number offeatures and services associated with the tracking and management of aplurality of tracking devices and/or users associated with the trackingdevices. For example, the tracking system 100 can manage informationand/or user profiles associated with user 103 and community users 105.In particular, the tracking system 100 can manage information associatedwith the tracking device 106 and/or other tracking devices associatedwith the user 103 and/or the community users 105.

As mentioned above, the tracking system 100 can receive an indicationthat the tracking device 106 is lost from the mobile device 102. Thetracking system 100 can then process the indication in order to help theuser 103 find the tracking device 106. For example, the tracking system100 can leverage the capabilities of the community mobile devices 104 tohelp find the tracking device 106. In particular, the tracking system100 may set a flag for a tracking device 106 to indicate that thetracking device 106 lost and monitor communications received from thecommunity mobile devices 104 indicating the location of one or moretracking devices 106 within proximity of the community mobile devices104. The tracking system 100 can determine whether a specific locationis associated with the lost tracking device 106 and provide any locationupdates associated with the tracking device 106 to the mobile device102. In one example, the tracking system may receive constant updates oftracking device 106 locations regardless of whether a tracking device106 is lost and provide a most recent updated location of the trackingdevice 106 in response to receiving an indication that the trackingdevice 106 is lost.

In some configurations, the tracking system 100 can send a locationrequest associated with the tracking device 106 to each of the communitymobile devices 104. The location request can include any instructionsand/or information necessary for the community mobile devices 106 tofind the tracking device 102. For example, the location request caninclude a unique identifier associated with the tracking device 106 thatcan be used by the community mobile devices 104 to identify the trackingdevice 106. Accordingly, if one of the community mobile devices 104detects a communication from the tracking device 106 (e.g., if thecommunity mobile device 104 is within range or moves within range of thecommunication capabilities of the tracking device 106 and receives asignal from the tracking device 106 including or associated with theunique identifier associated with the tracking device 106), thecommunity mobile device 104 can inform the tracking system 100. Usingthe information received from the community mobile devices 104, thetracking system 100 can inform the user (e.g., by way of the mobiledevice 102) of a potential location of the tracking device 106.

As shown in FIG. 1 and as mentioned above, the tracking system 100 cancommunicate with a plurality of community mobile devices 104 associatedwith corresponding community users 105. For example, an implementationmay include a first community mobile device 104 a associated with afirst community user 105 a, a second community mobile device 104 bassociated with a second community user 105 b, and additionalcommunication mobile devices associated with additional community usersup to an nth community mobile device 104 n associated with an nthcommunity user 105 n. The community mobile devices 104 may also includefunctionality that enables each community mobile device 104 to identifya tracking device 106 within a proximity of the community mobile device104. In one example, a first community mobile device 104 a withinproximity of a tracking device 106 can communicate with the trackingdevice 106, identify the tracking device 106 (e.g., using a uniqueidentifier associated with the tracking device 106), and/or detect alocation associated with the tracking device 106 (e.g., a location ofthe first mobile community device 104 a at the time of the communicationwith the tracking device 106). This information can be used to provideupdated locations and/or respond to a location request from the trackingsystem 100 regarding the tracking device 106. In some embodiments, thesteps performed by the first community mobile device 104 a can be hiddenfrom the first community user 105 a. Accordingly, the first communitymobile device 104 a can assist in locating the tracking device 106without bother and without the knowledge of the first community user 105a.

As mentioned above, the tracking system 100 can assist a user 103 inlocating a tracking device 106. The tracking device may be a chip, tile,tag, or other device for housing circuitry and that may be attached toor enclosed within an object such as a wallet, keys, purse, car, orother object that the user 103 may track. Additionally, the trackingdevice 106 may include a speaker for emitting a sound and/or atransmitter for broadcasting a beacon. In one configuration, thetracking device 106 may periodically transmit a beacon signal that maybe detected using a nearby mobile device 102 and/or community mobiledevice 104. In some configurations, the tracking device 106 broadcasts abeacon at regular intervals (e.g., one second intervals) that may bedetected from a nearby mobile device (e.g., community mobile device104). The strength of the signal emitted from the tracking device 106may be used to determine a degree of proximity to the mobile device 102or community mobile device 104 that detects the signal. For example, ahigher strength signal would indicate a close proximity between thetracking device 106 and the mobile device 102 and a lower strengthsignal would indicate a more remote proximity between the trackingdevice 106 and the mobile device 102, though in some embodiments, thetracking device 106 can intentionally vary the transmission strength ofthe beacon signal. In some cases, the strength of signal or absence of asignal may be used to indicate that a tracking device 106 is lost.

System Overview

FIG. 2 illustrates an example tracking system for use in a trackingsystem environment, according to one embodiment. As shown, the trackingsystem 100 may include, but is not limited to, an association manager204, a tracking device location manager 206, and a data manager 208,each of which may be in communication with one another using anysuitable communication technologies. It will be recognized that althoughmanagers 204-208 are shown to be separate in FIG. 2, any of the managers204-208 may be combined into fewer managers, such as into a singlemanager, or divided into more managers as may serve a particularembodiment.

The association manager 204 may be configured to receive, transmit,obtain, and/or update information about a user 103 and/or informationabout one or more specific tracking devices (e.g., tracking device 106).In some configurations, the association manager 204 may associateinformation associated with a user 103 with information associated witha tracking device 106. For example, user information and trackinginformation may be obtained by way of a mobile device 102, and theassociation manager 204 may be used to link the user information andtracking information. The association between user 103 and trackingdevice 106 may be used for authentication purposes, or for storing userinformation, tracking device information, permissions, or otherinformation about a user 103 and/or tracking device 106 in a database.

The tracking system 100 also includes a tracking device location manager206. The tracking device location manager 206 may receive and process anindication that the tracking device 106 is lost from a mobile device(e.g., mobile device 102 or community mobile devices 104). For example,the tracking system 100 may receive a lost indication from a mobiledevice 102 indicating that the tracking device 106 is lost. The trackingdevice location manager 206 may set a flag on a database (e.g., trackerdatabase 212) indicating that the tracking device 106 is lost. Thetracking device location manager 206 may also query a database todetermine tracking information corresponding to the associated user 103and/or tracking device 106. The tracking system 100 may obtain trackingdevice information and provide the tracking device information or otherinformation associated with the tracking device 106 to a plurality ofcommunity mobile devices 104 to be on alert for the lost or unavailabletracking device 106.

The tracking device location manager 206 may also receive a locationfrom one or more community mobile devices 104 that detect the trackingdevice 106, for instance in response to the community mobile devicereceiving a beacon signal transmitted by the tracking device 106,without the tracking device 106 having been previously marked as lost.In such embodiments, a user corresponding to the mobile device 102 canrequest a most recent location associated with the tracking device fromthe tracking system 100, and the location manager 206 can provide thelocation received from the community mobile device for display by themobile device 102. In some embodiments, the location manager 206provides the location of the tracking device 106 received from acommunity mobile device either automatically (for instance if thetracking device 106 is marked as lost) or at the request of a user ofthe mobile device 102 (for instance, via an application on the mobiledevice 102). The location manager 206 can provide a location of atracking device 106 to a mobile device 102 via a text message, pushnotification, application notification, automated voice message, or anyother suitable form of communication.

The tracking device location manager 206 may further manage providingindications about whether a tracking device 106 is lost or not lost. Forexample, as discussed above, the tracking device location manager 206may provide a location request to the community of mobile devices 104indicating that a tracking device 106 is lost. Additionally, uponlocation of the tracking device 106 by the user 103 or by one of thecommunity of users 105, the tracking device location manager 206 mayprovide an indication to the user 103, community user 105, or trackingsystem 100 that the tracking device 106 has been found, thus removingany flags associated with a tracking device and/or canceling anylocation request previously provided to the community of users 105. Forexample, where a user 103 sends an indication that the tracking device106 is lost to the tracking system 100 and later finds the trackingdevice 106, the mobile device 102 may provide an indication to thetracking system 100 that the tracking device 106 has been found. Inresponse, the tracking device location manager 206 may remove a flagindicating that the tracking device 106 is lost and/or provide anupdated indication to the community of users 105 that the trackingdevice 106 has been found, thus canceling any instructions associatedwith the previously provided location request. In some configurations,the notification that the tracking device 106 has been found may beprovided automatically upon the mobile device 102 detecting the trackingdevice 106 within a proximity of the mobile device 102. Alternatively,the notification that the tracking device 106 has been found may beprovided by the user 103 via user input on the mobile device 102. Inanother example, a known user (e.g., a friend or family member) withwhom the tracking device 106 has been shared may provide an indicationthat the tracking device 106 has been found.

The tracking system 100 additionally includes a data manager 208. Thedata manager 208 may store and manage information associated with users,mobile devices, tracking devices, permissions, location requests, andother data that may be stored and/or maintained in a database related toperforming location services of tracking devices. As shown, the datamanager 208 may include, but is not limited to, a user database 210, atracker database 212, permissions data 214, and location request data216. It will be recognized that although databases and data within thedata manager 208 are shown to be separate in FIG. 2, any of the userdatabase 210, tracker database 212, permissions data 214, and locationrequest data 216 may be combined in a single database or manager, ordivided into more databases or managers as may serve a particularembodiment.

The data manager 208 may include the user database 210. The userdatabase 210 may be used to store data related to various users. Forexample, the user database 210 may include data about the user 103 aswell as data about each user 105 in a community of users 105. Thecommunity of users 105 may include any user that has provided userinformation to the tracking system 100 via a mobile device 102, 104 orother electronic device. The user information may be associated with oneor more respective tracking devices 106, or may be stored without anassociation to a particular tracking device. For example, a communityuser 105 may provide user information and permit performance of trackingfunctions on the community mobile device 104 without owning or beingassociated with a tracking device 106. The user database 210 may alsoinclude information about one or more mobile devices or other electronicdevices associated with a particular user.

The data manager 208 may also include a tracker database 212. Thetracker database 212 may be used to store data related to trackingdevices. For example, the tracker database 212 may include tracking datafor any tracking device 106 that has been registered with the trackingsystem 100. Tracking data may include unique tracker identifications(IDs) associated with individual tracking devices 106. Tracker IDs maybe associated with a respective user 103. Tracker IDs may also beassociated with multiple users. Additionally, the tracker database 212may include any flags or other indications associated with whether aspecific tracking device 106 has been indicated as lost and whether anyincoming communications with regard to that tracking device 106 shouldbe processed based on the presence of a flag associated with thetracking device 106.

The data manager 208 may further include permissions data 214 andlocation request data 216. Permissions data 214 may include levels ofpermissions associated with a particular user 103 and/or tracking device106. For example, permissions data 214 may include additional users thathave been indicated as sharing a tracking device 106, or who have beengiven permission to locate or receive a location of a tracking device106. Location request data 216 may include information related to alocation request or a lost indication received from the user 103 via amobile device 102.

FIG. 3 illustrates an example user mobile device for use in a trackingsystem environment, according to one embodiment. As shown, the mobiledevice 102 may include, but is not limited to, a user interface manager302, a location request manager 304, a database manager 306, and atracking manager 308, each of which may be in communication with oneanother using any suitable communication technologies. It will berecognized that although managers 302-308 are shown to be separate inFIG. 3, any of the managers 302-308 may be combined into fewer managers,such as into a single manager, or divided into more managers as mayserve a particular embodiment.

As will be explained in more detail below, the mobile device 102includes the user interface manager 302. The user interface manager 302may facilitate providing the user 103 access to data on a trackingsystem 100 and/or providing data to the tracking system 100. Further,the user interface manager 302 provides a user interface by which theuser 103 may communicate with tracking system 100 and/or tracking device106 via mobile device 102.

The mobile device 102 may also include a location request manager 304.The location request manager 304 may receive and process a request inputto the mobile device 102 to send an indication that a tracking device106 is lost to a tracking system 100. For example, the user 103 mayprovide an indication that a tracking device 106 is lost, unreachable,or otherwise unavailable, from the mobile device 102 via the userinterface manager 302, and the location request manager 304 may processthe lost indication and provide any necessary data to the trackingsystem 100 for processing and relaying a location request to other users105 over a network 108. In some configurations, an indication that atracking device 106 is lost is provided via user input. Alternatively,the indication may be transmitted automatically in response to themobile device 102 determining that a tracking device 106 is lost.

In addition, the location request manager 304 can request a location ofthe tracking device 106 without the tracking device 106 being identifiedas lost. For instance, a user can access a tracking device locationfeature of an application running on the mobile device 102 (for example,via the user interface manager 302), and the location request manager304 can request a most recent location of the tracking device 106 fromthe tracking system 100. The location request manager 304 can receivethe most recent location from the tracking system 100, and can displaythe most recent location via the user interface manager 302.

The mobile device 102 may also include a database manager 306. Thedatabase manager 306 may maintain data related to the user 103, trackingdevice 106, permissions, or other data that may be used for locating atracking device 106 and/or providing a request to a tracking system 100for locating one or more tracking devices 106 associated with the user103. Further, the database manager 306 may maintain any information thatmay be accessed using any other manager on the mobile device 102.

The mobile device 102 may further include a tracking manager 308. Thetracking manager 308 may include a tracking application (e.g., asoftware application) for communicating with and locating a trackingdevice 106 associated with the user 103. For example, the trackingmanager 308 may be one configuration of a tracking application installedon the mobile device 102 that provides the functionality for locating atracking device 106 and/or requesting location of a tracking device 106using a tracking system 100 and/or a plurality of community mobiledevices 104. As shown, the tracking manager 308 may include, but is notlimited to, a Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) manager 310, a persistencemanager 312, a local files manager 314, a motion manager 316, a securestorage manager 318, a settings manager 320, a location manager 322, anetwork manager 324, a notification manager 326, a sound manager 328, afriends manager 330, a photo manager 332, an authentication manager 334,and a device manager 336. Thus, the tracking manager 308 may perform anyof the functions associated with managers 310-338, described inadditional detail below.

The BLE manager 310 may be used to manage communication with one or moretracking devices 106. The persistence manager 312 may be used to storelogical schema information that is relevant to the tracking manager 308.The local files manager 314 may be responsible for managing all filesthat are input or output from the mobile device 102. The motion manager316 may be responsible for all motion management required by thetracking manager 308. The secure storage manager may be responsible forstorage of secure data, including information such as passwords andprivate data that would be accessed through this sub-system. Thesettings manager 320 may be responsible for managing settings used bythe tracking manager 308. Such settings may be user controlled (e.g.,user settings) or defined by the tracking manager 308 for internal use(e.g., application settings) by a mobile device 102 and/or the trackingsystem 100. The location manager 322 may be responsible for all locationtracking done by the tracking manager 308. For example, the locationmanager 322 may manage access to the location services of the mobiledevice 102 and works in conjunction with other managers to persist data.The network manager 324 may be responsible for all Internetcommunications from the tracking manager 308. For example, the networkmanager 324 may mediate all Internet API calls for the tracking manager308. The notification manager 326 may be responsible for managing localand push notifications required by the tracking manager 308. The soundmanager 328 may be responsible for playback of audio cues by thetracking manager 308. The friends manager 330 may be responsible formanaging access to contacts and the user's social graph. The photomanager 332 may be responsible for capturing and managing photos used bythe tracking manager 308. The authentication manager 334 may beresponsible for handling the authentication (e.g., sign in or login) ofusers. The authentication manager 334 may also include registration(e.g., sign up) functionality. The authentication manager 334 furthercoordinates with other managers to achieve registration functionality.The device manager 336 may be responsible for managing the devicesdiscovered by the tracking manager 308. The device manager 336 mayfurther store and/or maintain the logic for algorithms related to devicediscovery and update.

FIG. 4 illustrates an example community mobile device for use in atracking system environment, according to one embodiment. As shown, thecommunity mobile device 104 may include, but is not limited to, a userinterface manager 402, a tracking device manager 404, a database manager406, and a tracking manager 408, each of which may be in communicationwith one another using any suitable communication technologies. The userinterface manager 402, database manager 406, and tracking manager 408illustrated in FIG. 4 may include similar features and functionality asthe user interface manager 302, database manager 306, and trackingmanager 308 described above in connection with FIG. 3. It will berecognized that although managers 402-408 are shown to be separate inFIG. 4, any of the managers 402-408 may be combined into fewer managers,such as into a single manager, or divided into more managers as mayserve a particular embodiment.

The community mobile device 104 may include a tracking device manager404. The tracking device manager 404 may facilitate scanning for nearbytracking devices 106. In some configurations, the tracking devicemanager 404 can continuously or periodically scan (e.g., once persecond) for nearby tracking devices 106. The tracking device manager 404may determine whether to provide an updated location of the nearbytracking device 106 to the tracking system 100. In some configurations,the tracking device manager 404 provides a location of a nearby trackingdevice 106 automatically. Alternatively, the tracking device manager 404may determine whether the location of the tracking device 106 has beenrecently updated, and may determine whether to provide an updatedlocation based on the last time a location of the tracking device 106has been updated (e.g., by the community mobile device 104). Forexample, where the community mobile device 104 has provided a recentupdate of the location of a tracking device 106, the tracking devicemanager 404 may decide to wait a predetermined period of time (e.g., 5minutes) before providing an updated location of the same trackingdevice 106.

In one configuration, the tracking device manager 404 may receive andprocess a location request or other information relayed to the communitymobile device 104 by the tracking system 100. For example, the trackingdevice manager 404 may receive an indication of a tracking device 106that has been indicated as lost, and provide a location of the trackingdevice 106 if it comes within proximity of the community mobile device104. In some configurations, the community mobile device 104 isconstantly scanning nearby areas to determine if there is a trackingdevice 106 within a proximity of the community mobile device 104.Therefore, where a tracking device 106 that matches information providedby the tracking system 100 (e.g., from the location request) comeswithin proximity of the community mobile device 104, the tracking devicemanager 404 may generate and transmit a response to the location requestto the tracking system 100, which may be provided to the user 103associated with the tracking device 106. Further, generating andtransmitting the response to the tracking request may be conditioned onthe status of the tracking device 106 being flagged as lost by themobile device 102 and/or the tracking system 100.

The tracking device manager 404 may additionally provide otherinformation to the tracking system 100 in response to receiving thetracking request. For example, in addition to providing a location ofthe community mobile device 104, the tracking device manager may providea signal strength associated with the location to indicate a level ofproximity to the location of the community mobile device 104 provided tothe user 103. For example, if a signal strength is high, the locationprovided to the user 103 is likely to be more accurate than a locationaccompanied by a low signal strength. This may provide additionalinformation that the user 103 may find useful in determining the preciselocation of tracking device 106.

As described above, the tracking device manager 404 may determinewhether to send a location within the proximity of the tracking device106 to the tracking system 100. The determination of whether to send alocation to the tracking system 100 may be based on a variety offactors. For example, a tracking device manager 404 may determine tosend a location of the tracking device 106 to a tracking system 100based on whether the detected tracking device 106 has been indicated aslost or if a tracking request has been provided to the community mobiledevice 104 for the particular tracking device 106. In someconfigurations, the community mobile device 104 may send an update of alocation of a tracking device 106 even if the tracking device 106 is notassociated with a current tracking request or if the tracking device 106is not indicated as lost. For example, where the location of a trackingdevice 106 has not been updated for a predetermined period of time, thecommunity mobile device 104 may provide an update of a tracking devicelocation to the tracking system 100, regardless of whether a trackingrequest has been received.

In some configurations, the community mobile device 104 may includeadditional features. For example, the community mobile device 104 mayallow a tracking system 100 to snap and download a photo using photofunctionality of the community mobile device 104. In someconfigurations, this may be an opt-in feature by which a community user105 permits a tracking system 100 to take a snap-shot and possiblyprovide a visual image of an area within a proximity of the trackingdevice 106.

FIG. 5 illustrates an example tracking device for use in a trackingsystem environment, according to one embodiment. The tracking device 106of FIG. 5 includes an interface 502, a transceiver 504, a controller506, and one or more sensors 508. The transceiver 504 is a hardwarecircuit capable of both transmitting and receiving signals. It should benoted that in other embodiments, the tracking device 106 includes fewer,additional, or different components than those illustrated in FIG. 5.

The interface 502 provides a communicative interface between thetracking device 106 and one or more other devices, such as a mobiledevice 102. For instance, the interface 502 can instruct the transceiver504 to output beacon signals as described above (for example,periodically or in response to a triggering event, such as a detectedmovement of the tracking device 106). The interface 502 can, in responseto the receiving of signals by the transceiver 504 from, for instance,the mobile device 102, manage a pairing protocol to establish acommunicative connection between the tracking device 106 and the mobiledevice 102. As noted above, the pairing protocol can be a BLEconnection, though in other embodiments, the interface 502 can manageother suitable wireless connection protocols (such as WiFi, GlobalSystem for Mobile Communications or GSM, and the like).

The controller 506 is a hardware chip that configures the trackingdevice 106 to perform one or more functions or to operate in one oroperating modes or states. For instance, the controller 506 canconfigure the interval at which the transceiver broadcasts beaconsignals, can authorize or prevent particular devices from pairing withthe tracking device 106 based on information received from the devicesand permissions stored at the tracking device, can increase or decreasethe transmission strength of signals broadcasted by the transceiver, canconfigure the interface to emit a ringtone or flash an LED light, canenable or disable various tracking device sensors, can enable or disablecommunicative functionality of the tracking device 106 (such as a GSMtransmitter and receiving), can configure the tracking device into asleep mode or awake mode, can configure the tracking device into a powersaving mode, and the like. The controller 506 can configure the trackingdevice to perform functions or to operate in a particular operating modebased on information or signals received from a device paired with orattempting to pair with the tracking device 106, based on an operatingstate or connection state of the tracking device 106, based onuser-selected settings, based on information stored at the trackingdevice 106, based on a detected location of the tracking device 106,based on historical behavior of the tracking device 106 (such as aprevious length of time the tracking device was configured to operate ina particular mode), based on information received from the sensors 508,or based on any other suitable criteria.

The sensors 508 can include motion sensors (such as gyroscopes oraccelerators), altimeters, orientation sensors, proximity sensors, lightsensors, or any other suitable sensor configured to detect anenvironment of the tracking device 106, a state of the tracking device106, a movement or location of the tracking device 106, and the like.The sensors 508 are configured to provide information detected by thesensors to the controller 506.

Locating a Tracking Device Using User-Guided Trilateration

A tracking device 106 communicates with a mobile device 102, enabling auser to use user-guided trilateration to locate the tracking device. Atracking device 106 that has been misplaced may be difficult to locatedue to the size and obviousness of the tracking device, environmentalfactors, or other factors. Further, tracking devices 106 may not haveGPS receivers, and location data captured by a mobile device 102 incommunication with the tracking device may be imprecise. It isbeneficial to enable a user to use user-guided trilateration in order tolocate the tracking device 106 within an area.

FIGS. 6A-6D illustrate an example for locating a tracking device usinguser-guided trilateration, according to one embodiment. As shown in FIG.6A, a mobile device 102 of a user 605 is communicatively coupled to atracking device 106. The mobile device 102 is associated with a firstlocation. For example, the first location of the mobile device 102 isdetermined based on a current location provided by GPS capabilities ofthe mobile device. Via the mobile device 102, the user 605 requestsassistance in locating the tracking device 106 (e.g., if the trackingdevice is lost, misplaced, concealed, or otherwise difficult to locatewithin an area). The mobile device 102 determines a first distance 620Abetween the mobile device at the first location and the tracking device106.

For example, the mobile device 102 determines the first distance 620Abased on a time-of-flight of one or more signals exchanged between thetracking device 106 and the mobile device. In such an example, thetime-of-flight is converted to a distance based on a known transmissionspeed of the signals. In another example, the mobile device 102determines the first distance 620A using other signals or methods, suchas high accuracy distance measurements (HADM), based on a measurement ofsignal strength, and the like. For instance, given a known transmissionpower of a signal (such as the signal from the tracking device 106), adetected measure of signal strength can be converted into a distancebased on an expected signal strength decay over the distance.

The mobile device 102 provides to the tracking system 100 the firstdistance 620A between the tracking device and the mobile device at thefirst location. The tracking system 100 determines a first series oflocations (represented by circle 625A) as possible locations of thetracking device 106, each location of the first series of locations 625Acorresponding to the first distance 620A from the first location of themobile device 102.

The tracking system 100 provides a first instruction to the mobiledevice 102 for display to the user 605. The first instruction directsthe user 605 to move from the first location 630A to a second location.As described further in conjunction with FIG. 7, the first instructionspecifies one or more of: a distance to move, a direction in which tomove, a location, a building or landmark, a route, and a map interfacedisplaying an area including the current location of the mobile device102. As shown in FIG. 6B, responsive to the mobile device 102 movingfrom the first location 630A to the second location, the mobile devicedetermines a second distance 620B between the mobile device at thesecond location and the tracking device 106. The mobile device 102provides the second location and the second distance 620B to thetracking system 100. The tracking system 100 determines a second seriesof locations 625B corresponding to the second distance 620B from thesecond location of the mobile device 106.

The tracking system 100 provides a second instruction to the mobiledevice 102 for display to the user 605. The second instruction directsthe user 605 to move from the second location 630B to a third location.As shown in FIG. 6C, responsive to the mobile device 102 moving from thesecond location 630B to the third location, the mobile device determinesa third distance 620C between the mobile device at the third locationand the tracking device 106. The mobile device 102 provides the thirdlocation and the third distance 620C to the tracking system 100. Thetracking system 100 determines a third series of locations 625Ccorresponding to the third distance 620C from the second location of themobile device 106.

In some embodiments, the tracking system 100 may provide furtherinstructions to the mobile device 102 for the user to move to one ormore additional locations and to determine one or more additionaldistances at the additional locations. Data describing additionallocations and additional distances may be valuable. For example, incases where a user 605 moves between three locations that areperpendicular to the tracking device 106, further data is needed toidentify a location of the tracking device. In some embodiments, thetracking system 100 applies one or more operations to the determineddistances 620. For example, the tracking system 100 applies a timediscount to the determined distances 620A. In a case where a firstdistance 620A is associated with a severe time discount due to an amountof time between the first distance and the second and third distances620 being determined, further data may be valuable in identifying thelocation of the tracking device 106. In another example, the trackingsystem 100 applies a smoothing operation to the determined distances 620to reduce noise associated with the data, such as a Kalman filter, arunning average, and the like.

As shown in FIG. 6D, the tracking system 100 performs a trilateration tolocate the tracking device 106. That is, based on the series oflocations 625 corresponding to the determined distances 620 betweenlocations 630, the tracking system 100 identifies a point of overlap635. The point of overlap 635 between the series of locations 625 is thecurrent location of the tracking device. The tracking system 100provides the determined location of the tracking device to the mobiledevice 102 for display to the user 605.

FIG. 7 illustrates an example interface of a mobile device for locatinga tracking device using user-guided trilateration, according to oneembodiment. The mobile device 102 establishes a connection with atracking device 106. Responsive to a user input requesting assistance inlocating the tracking device 106, the mobile device 102 provides a userinterface 700 for user-guided trilateration. In some embodiments, theuser interface 700 may include different, additional, or fewer elementsthan those shown in FIG. 7.

The mobile device 102 displays an identifier 710 of the tracking device106. For example, as shown in FIG. 7, the tracking device 106 beinglocated via user-guided trilateration is identified as “TILE_CATTAG.”The mobile device 102 provides an instruction for the user to move froma current location to a next location. As shown in FIG. 7, theinstruction includes a text instruction 715 (“Please walk 25 feet to theright”) identifying a distance (25 feet) and a direction (right) for theuser of the mobile device 102 to move. The instruction additionallyincludes a map interface 720 illustrating an area including a currentlocation of the mobile device 102. The map interface 720 includes one ormore buildings, businesses, roads, and landmarks. The map interface 720further includes a marker 725 identifying a current location of themobile device 102 and a direction for the user of the mobile device tomove. In other embodiments, the instruction or interface displayed to auser may different, additional, or fewer elements than those shown inFIG. 7. For example, the instruction may include an end location, aroute, a heading (“east”), and the like.

FIG. 8 is a flow diagram illustrating a process for locating a trackingdevice using user-guided trilateration, according to some exampleembodiments. The steps of FIG. 8 may be performed by the tracking system100, though in other embodiments, some or all of the steps may beperformed by other entities or systems. In addition, other embodimentsmay include different, additional, or fewer steps, and the steps may beperformed in different orders.

The tracking system 100 receives 810 a request to locate the trackingdevice from a user of a mobile device 102. The mobile device 102receives signals from the tracking device 106 (or is communicativelycoupled to the mobile device 102). The mobile device 102 is associatedwith a first location. The tracking system 100 receives 815 from themobile device 102 a first distance between the mobile device at thefirst location and the tracking device. For example, as described inconjunction with FIGS. 6A-6D, the tracking system 100 receives adistance computed based on time-of-flight of one or more signalsexchanged between the tracking device 106 and the mobile device 102.

The tracking system 100 provides 820 a first instruction for display bythe mobile device 102. The first instruction directs the user of themobile device 102 to move to a second location identified by theinstruction. For example, the instruction specifies one or more of: adistance, a direction, an end point, a building or landmark, a route,and a map interface displaying an area including the current location ofthe mobile device 102. The tracking system 100 receives 825 from themobile device 102 a second distance between the mobile device at thesecond location and the tracking device. The tracking system 100provides 830 a second instruction to the mobile device 102, directingthe user of the mobile device to move to a third location. The trackingsystem 100 receives 835 from the mobile device 102 a third distancebetween the mobile device at the third location and the tracking device.

The tracking system 100 determines 840 a location of the tracking deviceby performing a trilateration operation. The trilateration operationoutputs the location of the tracking device based at least in part onthe first distance, the first location, the second distance, the secondlocation, the third distance, and the third location. In someembodiments (such as embodiments where the confidence interval orpotential error of the location of the exceeds a threshold), thetracking system 100 receives one or more additional distances betweenthe tracking device 106 and the mobile 102 at one or more additionallocations of the mobile device. In such embodiments, a multilaterationoperation is performed based on the one or more additional distances andone or more additional locations. In some embodiments, the trackingsystem 100 provides further instructions to the user of the mobiledevice 102 to move to the one or more additional locations.

The tracking system 100 provides 845 the determined location of thetracking device to the mobile device 102 for display to the user. Itshould be noted that although the user navigation instructions describedherein are generated by the central tracking system 100, in practice,the mobile device 102 or any other system can generate the navigationinstructions. Likewise, the mobile device 102 can determine a preciselocation of the tracking device 106 based on the determined distancebetween the mobile and the tracking device at various locations (asopposed to the central tracking system 100 computing the preciselocation of the tracking device and providing the location to the mobiledevice).

Additional Considerations

The foregoing description of the embodiments of the invention has beenpresented for the purpose of illustration; it is not intended to beexhaustive or to limit the invention to the precise forms disclosed.Persons skilled in the relevant art can appreciate that manymodifications and variations are possible in light of the abovedisclosure.

Any of the devices or systems described herein can be implemented by oneor more computing devices. A computing device can include a processor, amemory, a storage device, an I/O interface, and a communicationinterface, which may be communicatively coupled by way of communicationinfrastructure. Additional or alternative components may be used inother embodiments. In particular embodiments, a processor includeshardware for executing computer program instructions by retrieving theinstructions from an internal register, an internal cache, or othermemory or storage device, and decoding and executing them. The memorycan be used for storing data or instructions for execution by theprocessor. The memory can be any suitable storage mechanism, such asRAM, ROM, flash memory, solid state memory, and the like. The storagedevice can store data or computer instructions, and can include a harddisk drive, flash memory, an optical disc, or any other suitable storagedevice. The I/O interface allows a user to interact with the computingdevice, and can include a mouse, keypad, keyboard, touch screeninterface, and the like. The communication interface can includehardware, software, or a combination of both, and can provide one ormore interfaces for communication with other devices or entities.

Some portions of this description describe the embodiments of theinvention in terms of algorithms and symbolic representations ofoperations on information. These algorithmic descriptions andrepresentations are commonly used by those skilled in the dataprocessing arts to convey the substance of their work effectively toothers skilled in the art. These operations, while describedfunctionally, computationally, or logically, are understood to beimplemented by computer programs or equivalent electrical circuits,microcode, or the like. Furthermore, it has also proven convenient attimes, to refer to these arrangements of operations as modules, withoutloss of generality. The described operations and their associatedmodules may be embodied in software, firmware, hardware, or anycombinations thereof.

Any of the steps, operations, or processes described herein may beperformed or implemented with one or more hardware or software modules,alone or in combination with other devices. In one embodiment, asoftware module is implemented with a computer program productcomprising a computer-readable medium containing computer program code,which can be executed by a computer processor for performing any or allof the steps, operations, or processes described.

Embodiments of the invention may also relate to an apparatus forperforming the operations herein. This apparatus may be speciallyconstructed for the required purposes, and/or it may comprise ageneral-purpose computing device selectively activated or reconfiguredby a computer program stored in the computer. Such a computer programmay be stored in a non-transitory, tangible computer readable storagemedium, or any type of media suitable for storing electronicinstructions, which may be coupled to a computer system bus.Furthermore, any computing systems referred to in the specification mayinclude a single processor or may be architectures employing multipleprocessor designs for increased computing capability.

Embodiments of the invention may also relate to a product that isproduced by a computing process described herein. Such a product maycomprise information resulting from a computing process, where theinformation is stored on a non-transitory, tangible computer readablestorage medium and may include any embodiment of a computer programproduct or other data combination described herein.

Finally, the language used in the specification has been principallyselected for readability and instructional purposes, and it may not havebeen selected to delineate or circumscribe the inventive subject matter.It is therefore intended that the scope of the invention be limited notby this detailed description, but rather by any claims that issue on anapplication based hereon. Accordingly, the disclosure of the embodimentsof the invention is intended to be illustrative, but not limiting, ofthe scope of the invention, which is set forth in the following claims.

What is claimed is:
 1. A method comprising: for each of a plurality oflocations, providing, to a user of a mobile device, an instructionguiding the user to move from the location to a next location of theplurality of locations after receiving location information from themobile device indicating that the mobile device is at the location; ateach of the plurality of locations: receiving, from the mobile device, astrength of a beacon signal received by the mobile device from atracking device; determining, based on the measurement of signalstrength, a distance between the mobile device and the tracking devicecorresponding to the strength of the beacon signal; after the mobiledevice has moved to each of the plurality of locations, determining,based on the locations of the plurality of locations and the determineddistances between the mobile device and the tracking device at each ofthe locations, whether additional information is required to locate thetracking device; in response to determining that additional informationis required, providing an additional instruction guiding the user tomove to an additional location and, after the user arrives at thelocation, determining a distance between the mobile device and thetracking device; and in response to determining that additionalinformation is not required, determining a location of the trackingdevice by performing a trilateration operation on the determineddistances between the mobile device and the tracking device at each ofthe plurality of locations.
 2. The method of claim 1, further comprisingmodifying the plurality of locations to include an additional locationdifferent than the plurality of locations.
 3. The method of claim 1,wherein each instruction indicates a distance and a direction for theuser to move from the location to the next location.
 4. The method ofclaim 1, wherein each instruction is displayed within a map interfaceindicating the next location.
 5. The method of claim 1, whereindetermining a distance between the mobile device and the tracking devicefurther comprises determining a high accuracy distance measurement(HADM) based on the beacon signal from the tracking device.
 6. Themethod of claim 1, further comprising performing a smoothing operationto the determined distances to determine the location of the trackingdevice.
 7. The method of claim 6, wherein the smoothing operation is oneof a Kalman filter and a running average.
 8. The method of claim 1,wherein performing a trilateration operation comprises applying a timediscount to the determined distances based on a time each distance ofthe determined distances was determined.
 9. A tracking system comprisinga non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing executableinstructions that, when executed, cause steps to be performedcomprising: for each of a plurality of locations, providing, to a userof a mobile device, an instruction guiding the user to move from thelocation to a next location of the plurality of locations afterreceiving location information from the mobile device indicating thatthe mobile device is at the location; at each of the plurality oflocations: receiving, from the mobile device, a strength of a beaconsignal received by the mobile device from a tracking device; anddetermining, based on the measurement of signal strength, a distancebetween the mobile device and the tracking device corresponding to thestrength of the beacon signal; after the mobile device has moved to eachof the plurality of locations, determining, based on the locations ofthe plurality of locations and the determined distances between themobile device and the tracking device at each of the locations, whetheradditional information is required to locate the tracking device; inresponse to determining that additional information is required,providing an additional instruction guiding the user to move to anadditional location and, after the user arrives at the location,determining a distance between the mobile device and the trackingdevice; and in response to determining that additional information isnot required, determining a location of the tracking device byperforming a trilateration operation on the determined distances betweenthe mobile device and the tracking device at each of the plurality oflocations.
 10. The tracking system of claim 9, further comprisingmodifying the plurality of locations to include an additional locationdifferent than the plurality of locations.
 11. The tracking system ofclaim 9, wherein each instruction indicates a distance and a directionfor the user to move from the location to the next location.
 12. Thetracking system of claim 9, wherein each instruction is displayed withina map interface indicating the next location.
 13. The tracking system ofclaim 9, wherein determining a distance between the mobile device andthe tracking device further comprises determining a high accuracydistance measurement (HADM) based on the beacon signal from the trackingdevice.
 14. The tracking system of claim 9, further comprisingperforming a smoothing operation to the determined distances todetermine the location of the tracking device.
 15. The tracking systemof claim 14, wherein the smoothing operation is one of a Kalman filterand a running average.
 16. The tracking system of claim 9, whereinperforming a trilateration operation comprises applying a time discountto the determined distances based on a time each distance of thedetermined distances was determined.
 17. A non-transitorycomputer-readable storage medium storing executable instructions that,when executed by a processor, cause the process to perform stepscomprising: for each of a plurality of locations, providing, to a userof a mobile device, an instruction guiding the user to move from thelocation to a next location of the plurality of locations afterreceiving location information from the mobile device indicating thatthe mobile device is at the location; at each of the plurality oflocations: receiving, from the mobile device, a strength of a beaconsignal received by the mobile device from a tracking device; anddetermining, based on the measurement of signal strength, a distancebetween the mobile device and the tracking device corresponding to thestrength of the beacon signal; after the mobile device has moved to eachof the plurality of locations, determining, based on the locations ofthe plurality of locations and the determined distances between themobile device and the tracking device at each of the locations, whetheradditional information is required to locate the tracking device; inresponse to determining that additional information is required,providing an additional instruction guiding the user to move to anadditional location and, after the user arrives at the location,determining a distance between the mobile device and the trackingdevice; and in response to determining that additional information isnot required, determining a location of the tracking device byperforming a trilateration operation on the determined distances betweenthe mobile device and the tracking device at each of the plurality oflocations.
 18. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium ofclaim 17, further comprising modifying the plurality of locations toinclude an additional location different than the plurality oflocations.
 19. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium ofclaim 17, wherein each instruction indicates a distance and a directionfor the user to move from the location to the next location.
 20. Thenon-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 17, whereineach instruction is displayed within a map interface indicating the nextlocation.
 21. The method of claim 1, wherein the tracking device doesnot include GPS or other location-determination functionality.
 22. Themethod of claim 1, wherein the plurality of locations are determined inadvance of providing instructions to the user of the mobile device.